Oscars 2014: Inside the Rhyming “Let It Go” Acceptance Speech

For the legions of Frozen fans out there, a Best Song win for “Let It Go” may have seemed like a foregone conclusion — but not so much to its creators.

“The [nominated] songs were all so good and they were presented so well that it was underlining how close the race probably was,” Robert Lopez, who wrote the song with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, tells TIME. “It was making us very nervous because we knew how exciting it would be to win.”

“When they called our names, what really was going through my mind was how great it was to be going through this with Kristen, who is really my best friend, my wife, and the mother of my kids,” says Lopez. “It’s a real blessing.”

It was also good news for fans of rhyming couplets. The ultra-cute rhyming acceptance speech that the pair delivered was his wife’s concept, says Lopez.

In fact, she had come up with the idea — and convinced her somewhat reluctant husband to play along — back when they were nominated for a Golden Globe; they didn’t win, however, so they were able to use the same speech on Oscars night. Well, almost: the other awards show was close to Pixar exec John Lasseter’s birthday, which has now passed, so they had to update a “Happy birthday to you” to a “Happy Oscars to you.” (Despite the second line of that couplet, Lopez says not to get too excited. Frozen 2 just rhymes with “you”; it doesn’t actually exist — yet.)

As for that EGOT, Lopez says there’s been no secret handshake or club induction. (Or is he just not telling us?) “I’m waiting for the email from [most recent EGOTer] Scott Rudin,” he jokes. “I’m really honored to be part of it, but I know it’s just a statistical coincidence.”

But the EGOT does help with at least one thing: interior-decorating decisions. Asked where he’ll keep his new statuette, Lopez has an answer ready: “Probably next to the the Emmy, Grammy and Tony!”

For the legions of Frozen fans out there, a Best Song win for “Let It Go” may have seemed like a foregone conclusion — but not so much to its creators.

“The [nominated] songs were all so good and they were presented so well that it was underlining how close the race probably was,” Robert Lopez, who wrote the song with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, tells TIME. “It was making us very nervous because we knew how exciting it would be to win.”

“When they called our names, what really was going through my mind was how great it was to be going through this with Kristen, who is really my best friend, my wife, and the mother of my kids,” says Lopez. “It’s a real blessing.”

It was also good news for fans of rhyming couplets. The ultra-cute rhyming acceptance speech that the pair delivered was his wife’s concept, says Lopez.

In fact, she had come up with the idea — and convinced her somewhat reluctant husband to play along — back when they were nominated for a Golden Globe; they didn’t win, however, so they were able to use the same speech on Oscars night. Well, almost: the other awards show was close to Pixar exec John Lasseter’s birthday, which has now passed, so they had to update a “Happy birthday to you” to a “Happy Oscars to you.” (Despite the second line of that couplet, Lopez says not to get too excited. Frozen 2 just rhymes with “you”; it doesn’t actually exist — yet.)

As for that EGOT, Lopez says there’s been no secret handshake or club induction. (Or is he just not telling us?) “I’m waiting for the email from [most recent EGOTer] Scott Rudin,” he jokes. “I’m really honored to be part of it, but I know it’s just a statistical coincidence.”

But the EGOT does help with at least one thing: interior-decorating decisions. Asked where he’ll keep his new statuette, Lopez has an answer ready: “Probably next to the the Emmy, Grammy and Tony!”